Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Whaaaat? Can I really be halfway through this pregnancy already? I mean, technically I will hit the halfway mark tomorrow at exactly 20 weeks, but sheesh! I didn't realize how very different it would be to be pregnant for the second time. I am still very excited, but I just don't have the time to dwell on it like I did through my first pregnancy. There are some days that I forget about my belly until Luke kicks me, or I try to bend down to tackle Jack and my belly gets in the way. I did manage to paint my toenails last night, and while that task is getting a little more difficult, I think I will be able to do it for a while yet. (Matt did volunteer to help though. So sweet!)

Stats:

Weight gain: I haven't stepped on a scale since my last appointment, but judging from the feel of my pants...it's gone up a bit.Cravings: Only tacos. I haven't actually eaten any though, because during my first tri I wanted a taco and then I got sooo sick. Movement: All the time! Little dude is a wiggle worm. My youngest sister got to feel him kick on Sunday.Gender: It's a boy!Milestones: Halfway mark! And...not to jinx myself here...but I haven't been sick in almost TWO WEEKS!

This is the part of pregnancy that I love. I feel pregnant, I look pregnant, I can feel the baby move, but I am no longer sick, and I don't feel like a whale just yet!

And here is the cutest part of this post...Jack started KISSING my belly. Completely unprompted, he just walks over, lifts up my shirt and kisses 'Luke'. He also likes to sit in my lap and touch my belly lightly and say 'tickle' (I gently tickle his belly when he is sleepy before his naps, so I think he learned that from me!)

Sunday, May 22, 2011

As the warm weather has slowly crept into season, Jack has discovered a great love of all things outdoors. Rocks, sticks, dirt, animals, and especially bugs! He has really started to explore the world around him, and I can't help but join in and rediscover the joy of simply plopping down on the sidewalk to watch an ant carry a leaf.

It is an unexpected blessing to parenthood, a kind of second childhood that has me sitting in the grass throwing rocks at a cup once again. I forgot how fun that could be.

For the record...he did have a shirt on...he just got really sweaty!

The memory of tantrums and disobedience all fade away pretty quickly in my mind when we draw shapes together with sidewalk chalk. The way his eyes light up as he proudly makes a few lines with his chalk and pronounces it a 'star' is so precious to me...worth every single sleepless night.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I am so sorry to have kept you waiting! I wanted to make sure I got the chance to tell my brother, sisters, parents, etc. in person before they found out on Facebook or here on the blog!

Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to...

...Luke! Jack's baby brother!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to know that we are being blessed with another boy! He is beautifully healthy and moving around like a little maniac...which doesn't surprise me one bit! He measures perfectly on track and both Matt and I are just so darn excited!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

At 6:00 this evening I will be laying on an uncomfortable little bed, belly covered in clear goop, straining my neck to get my first few glimpses of this new little one inside of me. I pray that it is healthy. I wonder if it will have a profile similar to Jack? I wonder if it will be wiggling all over the place like he was? I wonder if it is a girl or a boy?!

I took a little informal poll on Facebook, and the results are almost all girl, which is funny because I am pretty much convinced that this is another boy. I don't have a preference whatsoever...it would be cool to have a daughter, but I already know that I adore having a son...so another one of those would be pretty rad as well, you know?

So, my blogging friends, I am opening it up to you...what do you think we are having?(Also...this is my first time putting a poll into a post, so if its not working...give me a shout! I probably wont know how to fix it anyway)

For the record...Jack insists it is a bear, but I am pretty sure that it is not, in fact, a bear.

I also just noticed that something weird is happening to my layout...I will work on that later! Bear with me!

Monday, May 16, 2011

You should go over to my sister's blog and tell her congratulations! You wanna know why?? Oh...well...SHE HAD HER BABY!!

I was blessed enough to be there, and let me tell you, it is a story and a half, complete with emergency detours! But, as much as I want to tell you all about it, it is her story, and I want her to tell it first! SO anyway...head over there and give them some love for me!

Welcome to the world Gemma!

(I may have used all the exclamation points in the world for this post, but you know what? I can't help it, I am so excited for them!!)

Monday, May 9, 2011

WELL, let me tell you about what happened on Tuesday, which was pretty much an all-around slam dunk of a day. It started out with Jack waking up in his crib covered in his own excrement, which is just never a good thing. I cleaned him up, got him settled on the couch with his Froot Loops and milk, and turned on Elmo. After a few minutes, he vomited all over himself.

If you have never seen a toddler/baby throw up, consider yourself lucky. It is tragic. And disgusting. And it scares them into full out bawling. I picked him up and held him to my chest and told him it was okay, that Mommy had him and he would be fine. I carried him into the kitchen on the way to the laundry room to strip him down and clean him up. On the way there, My big toe caught in the bottom of my pajama pants, beginning a full out stumble fest in the kitchen.

Due to the fact that I am a little off balance from pregnancy to begin with, and I was holding a 25 pound toddler to my chest, I couldn't get myself upright, but I didn't fall down either. Instead I stumbled lower and lower for what felt like ten minutes, trying desperately to cover any part of my boy that might get hurt in a fall.

Luckily, I caught myself on the corner/edge of the countertop, which completely protected Jack from hitting anything.

Did I mention that I caught myself with my face? Resulting in a really stellar bruise on my cheekbone and a bloody nose? Which is now morphing into a really beautiful shade of yellow and a black eye?

Yeah. That really happened. In the long run, yeah, it hurt pretty bad, but I am very lucky to have not hit my actual eye, or my nose, or to have fallen on Jack, or to have fallen in a way that would hurt the inside baby.

Needless to say, between the vomiting baby with diarrhea, and my self-inflicted facial trauma, the day was not off to the best of starts.

About three hours later, Matt sent me a text letting me now that he had just been rear-ended.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The big news on the baby front this week is that last night Matt finally felt the little one kick! I have been feeling the little thump-bumps for about two weeks now, but it was exciting to know that they are getting stronger.

This picture could also be known as 'girlfriend needs a haircut'.

Stats

Weight gain: No idea...as of my last appt I was down 5 pounds, but I have an appointment on Monday, and I think we will see the scale start moving in the opposite direction.Movement: Yep! Little kicks and flutters every day!Cravings: Um. No...but I can eat, so that is really all I can ask for!Gender: No idea, but we should know within a month or so! That's right, we decided to find out this time!! I have a definite feeling as to whether it is a boy or girl, but Matt has the opposite feeling...so we shall see! One of us is definitely correct!Other News: Jack can now say both the names we have picked out, and while I don't think we are going to be sharing them just yet, I just have to say that it is freaking adorable to hear him say the name of his future brother or sister!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

I am a little behind on some of my posting, but about a week and a half ago we took Jack to the zoo for the first time! We went down to the Washington Zoo, which I totally recommend doing if you are nearby. It is free to get in, and it was really nice!

We rode the train down, to save on gas and on parking. Jack was so excited to be on the choo-choo, and for the trip down he just sat on my lap and stared out of the window (to make up for it on the way back he thrashed, screamed, cried, and peed on my leg...sigh) (Also, my mom and step-dad somehow missed the train on the way back and had to wait for another one, which was then stopped at another station and everyone had to get off and wait for ANOTHER train...it was kind of a mess).

Jack was so excited to see all of the animals, particularly the elephants and the birds. The dude loves birds, he points and smiles and says 'tee-tee'.

I'm pretty sure that the frog was not technically a zoo animal, but Jack was excited to see it nonetheless! Also, see that peacock? Well, my nephew Emerson took one look at it, and yelled 'DUCK!'. To which Mr. Peacock screeched and did this...

...as if to say, "Seriously kid? You ever see a duck do this? I DIDN'T THINK SO!" Later on in the exhibit there was another peacock, which Emerson also managed to offend and he also spread his plumage in response!

As we left this exhibit, we came across the following...

...yeah. That's my brother. Doing...that. We have this ongoing joke that every time Everett is standing still he is striking a pose for the camera. This time he definitely was.

Later we came across Jack's very favorite thing in the whole zoo. A thing that made him smile, and occupied his attention endlessly. Such an amazing thing, this thing!

His own reflection! This exhibit was empty, by the way, so yes...that big smile is for his reflection.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

So, as many of you know, my sister is going to be having a sweet baby girl in just a few short weeks! This weekend we got some close friends and family together in order to celebrate the arrival of this precious little one, and just generally have a good time. Because this is their first girl, and because a little baby shower is often called a 'sprinkle' we went with a cute little ice cream party at this adorable little ice cream shop just down the street from her house!

Here is the guest of honor arriving with our mom! She knew that we were doing something, but she didn't know any of the details, so it was cute to see her take in all the people and the decorations.

We kept it short and sweet, the guests each got their own sundae and we happily chatted while Emily opened sweet baby gift after sweet baby gift! She was given so many adorable baby dresses, which is good, 'cause, you know, her son didn't wear a whole lot of them to pass down to his little sister!

We had so much fun, and it was really special to get together and celebrate this little life that Emily is carrying inside of her. Gemma will be here any day really, and we are all anxiously awaiting her arrival!

One last picture...when I found out I was pregnant, I had this idea that Emily and I would get a cute sister picture with our bellies touching. Well...I have a tiny bump, and she is about to pop, so we thought this might be our only chance!

It cracks me up how her big 36 week belly completely knocks my 16 week belly out of the park! Still, it is such a cool thing to go through even a little bit of our pregnancies at the same time! We are both very blessed!